


Trust

by Acidqueen



Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-27
Updated: 2017-04-27
Packaged: 2018-10-24 17:24:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10746369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Acidqueen/pseuds/Acidqueen
Summary: Commander Raspberry Milano of the Eternal Alliance sided with the Republic on Iokath, to the dismay of her husband, Malavai Quinn. When the dust settled, Raspberry declared Quinn a prisoner of the Eternal Alliance and told him that their marriage was over.Raspberry explains herself to her ex, and defends her relationship with Theron Shan.





	Trust

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this because Bioware pretty well botched the Republic side of the Quinn reunion on Iokath--except, of course, for those that wanted him dead. I wanted the option to tell Quinn that it was over, but still have him as a companion in the Alliance. Since I didn't get that option, I wrote this instead.
> 
> "nuyak-nuli" is Sith for "my beloved."

Quinn sat at a small table, looking out the window of his apartment. The accommodations he had been given upon his arrival on Odessen were more than comfortable; by Odessen or even Dromund Kaas standards, they were practically luxurious. He was treated like an honored guest by everyone, including his wife’s--or rather,  _ ex _ -wife’s--lover, but it didn’t change the fact that he was officially still a prisoner.

“Malavai.”

Quinn hadn’t bothered to look up when Raz walked into his quarters. He poured himself a dram of Ithorian brandy from the decanter on the table and downed it.

“Come to gloat?” he asked acidly, setting the dram on the table but not letting go. The slightly-slurred words caught in his throat as he said them. Commander Milano’s new battledress highlighted her strongly-toned hourglass figure with its form-fitting plates, making her look even more regal than she did on Iokath.

“No.” Raz took a step forward. “I just wanted to talk to you.”

The former Imperial officer shot a look at the woman once known as the Empire’s Wrath. “About what? You want to tell me that you wish I had died on Iokath? That you think it fitting that I spend the rest of my life in a gilded cage for your amusement?”

Raz sighed. She had hoped that having Quinn given an actual apartment and allowing him freedom of travel on Odessen would show him that her decision to imprison him after Iokath was a reluctant one. “No, Malavai. I didn’t come to say either of those things, nor will I ever say them. I am sorry that I had to place you under glorified house arrest--but I didn’t have much choice in the matter at the time, nor do I have much choice now. If I let you go back to the Empire, you would be blamed for Acina’s foolishness and tortured to death in front of the Dark Council as a traitor. If I turn you over to the Republic, Malcom would have you shot just because you’re Imperial.”

Quinn sat up, tightly gripping the dram glass in his hand. “So instead you throw me aside to cavort with Malcom’s son, the spy?” He spat the words at Raz. “I wish you  _ had  _ given me to the Republic--or even the Empire!” Quinn scanned her face for some sign that his words had hurt, but he knew that she wasn’t about to show it. He drained the glass. “Raspberry, I loved--I  _ love _ you. I finally got the courage to approach you,  _ my wife _ , after six years, and your response is to imprison me and tell me that it’s over between us? How am I supposed to feel about that?”

Her tone hardened. “ _ You tried to kill me, _ Malavai.” Raz’s gold eyes blazed and her pale crimson skin darkened. “Don’t ever…no.” She closed her eyes, took a breath, and calmed herself before speaking again. “Malavai,” she said, his name coming out in a sigh as she opened her eyes. “I do love you, and I always will--but that doesn’t change the fact that I trusted you with my life, even took vows of marriage to you...and you broke that trust in the worst way possible.”

Quinn’s expression hardened. “That was  _ six years ago _ ,” he shot back. “You’re still holding that against me?!”

“Holding it against you? No.” Raz’s voice broke. “I wanted to trust you again, Malavai. I tried to trust you again. But no matter how hard I worked to put the incident behind me, I found myself still looking over my shoulder, wondering if I’d find the knife in my back again.” She slowly walked over to the window and looked out on the forest with her hands clasped behind her back. A single ray of sun broke through the clouds to shine on the pureblood Sith, casting highlights in her deep red hair and backlighting her eyes when she turned her head to look at her ex-husband. “A marriage can’t function with a lack of trust, Mal,” she said, using her favourite diminutive for Quinn. “Theron may be a spy, but he has kept no secrets from me.”

“That you know of,” Quinn said softly. He poured himself some more brandy, and downed it in one gulp. The liquid burned as it went down his throat.

Raz took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Quinn looked up at her, and he smiled sadly.

“You’re more beautiful than ever, you know.” His voice was barely above a whisper. Raz looked down at him with a slight smile on her round face, and Quinn's heart broke all over again when the sunlight coming through the window made her eyes light up like golden star-jewels. “Why did you come here, Raz?” he asked after a long moment.

“I came to warn you that there’s a traitor in the Alliance--somebody tried to kill me when I was shutting down the superweapon. They may attempt to strike at you to get to me.”

Quinn quickly stood. “What?!” He staggered as his head swam from the alcohol in his system, and Raz caught him in a weak Force-stasis that gave her time to rush forward and catch him in her arms. “No,” Quinn said, “I’ll be okay…” he struggled for a moment in his ex’s gentle grip for a few seconds before finally relenting and allowing her to walk him to the nearby couch. Raz got him to lay down, and knelt next to him.

“Mal,” she gently chided, “You’re in enough danger already. You don’t need to make it worse with a drunken fall.” Her left hand glowed white with the Healing Force as she stroked his brow, and Quinn felt the room stop spinning. “You’re under guard as of an hour ago. Theron, Lana, and I are trying to ferret out the traitor--we know that it couldn’t have been you, because you were unconscious while I was struggling with Acina.” Raz took his hands in hers. “We’re not married anymore, Malavai--but that doesn’t mean that I don’t care about what happens to you...or that I would willingly leave you in danger.”

“I can help you find the traitor, Raspberry,” Quinn protested. He tried to sit up, but Raz held him firmly. “You know what my skillset is. Please, let me help...”

“Rest, Malavai.” Raz kept her voice low and gentle. “If you truly want to help then I need your mind sharp, not dulled by that triple-distilled Ithorian brandy that you’ve been drinking since you got here.” Quinn felt his eyelids getting heavier and consciousness slipping away as she spoke. “When you’re awake, Theron will come to collect you and escort you to the command center.” She stood and kissed the now-dozing Quinn on the forehead. “We’ll talk again soon,  _ nuyak-nuli _ ,” she whispered, then stood and walked to the door. The door opened with a soft  _ whoosh _ , and closed behind her as she addressed the guards nearby.

“I want staggered patrols around this block,” she said. “Anything that you even  _ think _ might look out of order, call me or Agents Shan and Beniko immediately.”

The guards saluted. “Right away, Commander.” The guard captain got out a datapad and started setting up assignments, leaving Raz to make her way back to the command center. The elevator ride into Alliance Command felt slower than normal, to her. At the bottom of the elevator shaft, Theron waited for her. The pair embraced and shared a quick kiss.

“You talk to him?” Theron asked.

 

Raz nodded and looked over at the displays on the central dais. She crossed her arms as if hugging herself. “Theron,” she said, her voice barely above the hum of the machinery in the command center, “please promise me something.” She looked back at the spy who loved her.

“Anything.” Theron reached up and brushed back a stray lock of Raz’s hair. “Hey.” She turned to look at him, and he leaned in. “What’s wrong?”

“Please don’t keep secrets from me, Theron--no matter how painful you think they might be for me to hear.” Raz uncrossed her arms and took his hands in hers. “Malavai kept Darth Baras’ hold on him a secret from me even though he knew I could have protected him--that’s what killed our marriage. I tried, but even though I do still love him, I couldn’t trust him after that. The five years I spent in carbonite were only a formality.” A tear ran down her cheek, and she reached up to wipe it away. “I understand not being able to share anything that would threaten the Republic--but…”

Theron took Raz into his arms and buried his nose in her silky dark hair as they embraced. “Raspberry,” he whispered, “I know how important trust is--especially now that we’re all threatened.” They parted a bit, and Theron put a hand under Raz’s chin. “Hey.” She looked up at him, and Theron smiled. “You’re the only person I’ve ever been able to let down my guard with. I know full well that I can, and I do, and I  _ will _ trust you with everything. I promise, Raspberry Milano, that I will not keep secrets from you.” He kissed her once, and once again. “I’d like to suggest we go somewhere more private,” the former SIS agent quipped with a smirk on his face, “but there are some reports that we need to go over with Lana.”

  
“To work, then.” Raz smiled and started walking toward the command dais where a petite blonde woman was making a very obvious point of not looking at them. “Let’s not keep Lana waiting."


End file.
